Mk 1 Project Zippy. Looking Like a Car.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:55 pm

I haven't done a huge amount on the car recently, mainly because I was looking for a specific bit in the garage. And of course this bit was in the last place I expected to find it - as such it took AGES to find. Still, the Manroom is a little bit clearer now...

I had an issue. When putting some stuff on the bench the other evening, I happened to knock one of the light lenses off, which hit the floor and broke. I have managed to find another on eBay (the correct side too - I did check!). I have glued the old one, but if it doesn't take I will still have the new one to help. Still, it's a pain in the **** that I could have done without.

As I am still concentrating on the rear end, I needed to sort the handbrake itself. The one in the car was of unknown origin, but was also knackered, with its button and internals either missing, seized or broken. So I got myself a standard Mini handbrake. This of course did not fit at all due to the Midas tunnel having no appropriate bracketry to mount it too. The Midas handbrake had horizontal mounts, whereas the Mini item's were vertical. Not helpful. Still, I am nothing if not resourceful. I had knocked up a bracket & spacer arrangement a couple of years ago but needed a half decent spacer to replace the hacked about steering drop bracket I'd used as a temporary measure. Once again Tink's spacer box helped, offering a perfectly sized item. I shall drill the holes in due course and mount it.

Moving on, I FINALLY found the bits I had been searching for: seatbelt stalk mount captive nut plates. I had put these in the cooling system parts box so I wouldn't lose them. It took the best part of 5 hours' searching to eventually unearth them. Luckily they'd already been reconditioned and painted. As I was on my own in the garage and don't have arms like Mr Tickle, actually getting them in place provided a slight issue. This was solved by popping the bolt through the bodywork, securing it with a ratchet & socket, then spinning the plate on until the rivet hole lined up. I then chucked a screwdriver through the hole and tightened up the bolt. This kept the rivet hole lined up nicely. I then simply removed the screwdriver and used a 16mm headed rivet to secure the plate. I also drilled a couple of extra holes in the plates to double up on the rivets. I still need to drill the new holes. Still , the first one is mounted with (the original arrangement of) one rivet. I ran out of time to do both (Took Mrs B out for her first drive of my daily) so will sort the other one next time.

Not the sort of thing you want to happen. I swore. Loudly.

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Handbrake with better looking spacer (awaiting paint).

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Been looking for these for AGES!

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sun Feb 19, 2017 7:56 pm

Riveted in place.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby Jin » Sun Feb 19, 2017 8:53 pm

Great progress mate
https://easywider.co.uk/ universal flexible wheel arch extensions
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Tue Feb 21, 2017 11:29 pm

Got a bit more done tonight, and as usual I ran into a setback or two.

I fitted the second seatbelt stalk captive plate. Having done one already, this was a piece of cake and only took a couple of minutes.

I gave my washer bottle a good wash - this included the cap, the plastic thread in the cap and the plastic gauze filter in the filler neck. This had accumulated all sorts of dirt and stuff during its time in storage including what looked like the remains of spider's eggs. A few minutes with some bleach and judicious use of a scrubbing brush had everything looking much cleaner. By the looks of things, the bottle itself either began with a blue-ish tinge, or the number of years that it's had screenwash in it has permanently stained it.

I then turned my attention to the wiper motor as this will probably go in the car soon, mainly to get it out of the way as it's not the easiest thing to store. I firstly looked at the wheelboxes and the outer rack tubing. This was covered in surface rust following my rust removal back when I'd first removed it. I will clean this up and respray it. However, when I originally cleaned it, I did not take the wheelboxes apart, and they're really stiff and covered in solidified old grease. Time for a dunk in the parts washer and a re-fresh.

Whilst working on the wiper bits, I decided that the best way to get rid of the hubs that I kept having to move was to put them on the car. I would have also connected up the steering rack but then I realised that I didn't have any locknuts for the track rod ends. These will need to wait until another day. The hubs themselves are just finger tight at the moment as I will doubtless need to pop a balljoint or two to get the engine & driveshafts in.

Finally I checked the glued-together lens. Typically some glue has seeped out on the outside. I might be able to save this by some careful Dremel work, but as there's another one coming it'll be good for a spare if nothing else.

Seatbelt stalk mount in place. Significantly easier than the first one... (Excuse the rubbish pic)

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Funky washer bottle now devoid of spider eggs and looking clean again. Made by Mitsubishi.

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Wheelboxes look nasty. Time for a Parts Washer dunking.

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Tue Feb 21, 2017 11:30 pm

Hubs on (albeit only loosely)

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It's just a little seepage! (Hopefully the Dremel can clear it up)

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby DavidL » Wed Feb 22, 2017 2:06 am

MrBounce wrote:It's just a little seepage! (Hopefully the Dremel can clear it up)

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You might get a better result with a sharp knife, if you have a steady hand. I'd use a bare Stanley blade on that, I reckon...
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:54 pm

Thanks David - I will give that a go :)
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby DavidL » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:23 pm

MrBounce wrote:Thanks David - I will give that a go :)

You need a good eye and a steady hand. Good luck!
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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:21 pm

These last few days have seen a lot of me wondering "Where on earth have I left my head?" with a smattering of "When is it actually going to go right?" As I am nearing the time to put the hubs, flanges and driveshafts on, I thought it wise to buy some more hub nuts and conical washers. Once I'd purchased these, I dug out the new CV joints in their (sealed) boxes. In each box was a brand new hub nut and also a conical washer, put there by me. I had then sealed each box so I wouldn't lose them. Nuts - literally. Still, I popped over to Tink's on Thursday and with his assistance & the help of Clyde the club hammer and a block of wood both cv joints were successfully mated with the driveshafts. I will use the new conical washers as one of the originals has some pretty deep marks on it thanks to the previous owner (or the one before him) "undoing" the hub nut using an angle grinder.

Moving onto the flanges, all looked good other than they were filthy. Or so I thought. It appears that I only have 4 of the correct bolts to mate the flange to the disc. So another eBay order has been made. Still, whilst I had them there, I gave them a good dunking in the parts washer. I am undecided as to whether I should paint them or not.

Finally, as I had the parts washer on the bench, in went the wiper wheelboxes. It was halfway through the cleaning that I noticed that there's virtually no thread on them and they're nastily corroded. Time for new ones...

Nice new CV Joints.

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This is a picture of a dirty flange (snigger)

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Knackered wiper wheelbox (1 of 2)

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Re: Mk 1 Project Zippy (Picture Heavy!)

Postby MrBounce » Fri Mar 17, 2017 5:30 pm

Had a hour or so this afternoon so popped into the Manroom with a view to having a big tidy up and to also start assembling the front end drivetrain. This meant popping the driveshafts on to the car - which was a good plan seeing as I was running out of places to put them - they're not the easiest things to store... I would have then put the flanges and discs on but I decided that the flanges (even once they'd been cleaned) needed some paint. So out came the engine paint and on went some blue. Hopefully the next time I go in there'll be much activity and the front wheels will appear on the car...

Right hub complete with trackrod end and driveshaft...

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...and the left one too.

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Flanges left off because I deemed it necessary to give 'em a coat of blue. Nice!

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